Page 111 - DMGT404 RESEARCH_METHODOLOGY

Unit 6: Primary Data and Questionnaire

6.2.1 Types of Observation Methods Notes

There are several methods of observation of which any one or a combination of some of them,
could be used by the observer. Some of these are:

 Structured or unstructured method
 Disguised or undisguised method
 Direct-indirect observation

 Human-mechanical observation
Structured-Unstructured Observation

Whether the observation should be structured or unstructured depends on the data needed.

Example: A manager of a hotel wants to know "how many of his customers visit the hotel
with their families and how many come as single customers. Here, the observation is structured,
since it is clear "what is to be observed". He may instruct his waiters to record this. This information
is required to decide requirements of the chairs and tables and also the ambience.
Suppose, the manager wants to know how single customers and those with families behave and
what their attitudes are like. This study is vague, and it needs a non-structured observation.

Example: To distinguish between structured and unstructured observations, consider a
study, investigating the amount of search that goes into the purchase of a soap. On the one hand,
the observers could be instructed to stand at one end of a supermarket and record each sample
customer's search. This may be observed and recorded as follows: "The purchaser first paused
after looking at HLL brand. He looked at the price on of the product, kept the product back on
the shelf, then picked up a soap cake of HLL and glanced at the picture on the pack and its list of
ingredients, and kept it back. He then checked the label and price for P&G product, kept that
back down again, and after a slight pause, picked up a different flavour soap of M/s Godrej
Company and placed it in his trolley and moved down the aisle". On the other hand, observers
might simply be told to record the "first soap cake examined", by checking the appropriate boxes
in the observation form. The 'second situation' represents more structured than the first.

Did u know? The observation method is the only method applicable to study the growth of
plants and crops.

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Caution To use a more structured approach, it would be necessary to decide precisely what
is to be observed and the specific categories and units that would be used to record the
observations.

Disguised-Undisguised Observation

In disguised observation, the respondents do not know that they are being observed. In non-
disguised observation, the respondents are well aware that they are being observed. In disguised
observation, observers often pose as shoppers. They are known as "mystery shoppers". They are
paid by research organisations. The main strength of disguised observation is that it allows for
registering the true of the individuals.

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